Sausalito Cooking School, with Recipes

The route to Cavallo Point Lodge is almost a secret -- a quick right turn off the exit on the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge leads down a narrow twisty decline and around a corner. There, a tidy half-circle of cream-colored buildings faces an incredible vista of the San Francisco skyline; to the right of this picture-postcard view is the graceful, stupendous span of the famed bridge.

Established in 1897 as Fort Baker and now part of Golden Gate National Park, the former Army post opened as Cavallo Point Lodge in July 2008. Its spacious officers' quarters have been renovated into comfortable eco-friendly accommodations. The lodge boasts a superlative restaurant, a 13,000-bottle wine cellar, spa facilities, an art gallery, and -- the reason we're here -- an excellent cooking school.

Cooking school director Kelsie Kerr is a former chef at Chez Panisse, the restaurant owned by sustainable-food advocate Alice Waters. Kelsie has co-authored four books with Waters.

Classes cover heirloom produce and the triumvirate of chef, farmer, and vintner. "The opportunity to provide an empowering (and delicious) culinary experience and introduce people to our network of local producers marries what is most important to me," Kelsie says. Her day starts at the San Rafael market, a bustling hodgepodge of colors, fragrances, and tastes where home cooks and local chefs banter with farmers who are experts in organics. For tonight's menu, Kelsie gathers shelling beans for ragout, plump fresh figs, curly frisée, escarole, and just-ripe pears.

Our class begins with a glass of Prosecco, crunchy crudités, and a discussion of the menu. We divide into groups to prepare the dinner recipes. The first course is Escarole and Frisée Salad with Roasted Figs. Kelsie shows how the best frisée is "blanched," that is, covered during growth so the tender inner leaves retain a delicate white-green hue. Sturdy escarole provides contrast to the frisée. Dressed with red wine balsamic vinaigrette enriched with pan juices from the roasted figs and accompanied by pancetta-wrapped croutons, the salad is a pleasing combination of salty, sweet, and tart.

A second group handles the main course, Lemon-Fennel Roasted Pork Loin. A generous seasoning of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper ensures a delicious crust; the lemon-fennel stuffing imparts a subtle tartness to the meat. "The secret to this dish is seeking out the best pork you can find, preferably from farms that support sustainable practices and allow livestock to free-range," Kelsie advises.

Golden Pear Cake bakes in a cast-iron skillet for even caramelization of the pears. A gooey brown sugar-and-butter topping seeps into the tender cake when it's turned onto its serving platter. Kelsie stresses finding the best produce available for this homey dessert and checking fruit for fragrance and absence of bruises.

Prepare Red Wine Balsamic Vinaigrette; set aside. For croutons, cut each slice of bread lengthwise into three 1/2-inch-wide sticks. Cut off and discard crusts. Brush bread sticks with 2 tablespoons oil. Wrap each with pancetta slice in a spiral. Place on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until pancetta is crisp.

Cut pork loin along rib bones lengthwise to separate meat from bones. (Do not cut all the way through.) Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Place lemon slices and fennel inside cut. Tie roast into original shape with kitchen string.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place roast in shallow roasting pan fat-side up. Roast, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours or until thermometer inserted into meatiest part of roast registers 130°F to 135°F.

Fresh shelling beans, such as cranberry, cannellini, flageolet, lima, or French horticultural beans, show up at farmers markets at the end of July through the fall months. The color of the pod generally indicates the color of the bean. Look for pods that have a leathery feel and are lumpy, an indication the beans inside are plump and ready to be eaten.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 1/4 cup butter in 9-inch cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Cook and stir until sugar is melted and bubbly; remove from heat. Set aside; cool. (Or, make brown sugar-butter mixture in saucepan; pour into 9-inch round cake pan, spreading evenly, and allow to cool.) Arrange pear slices in skillet or pan.

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl beat remaining 1/2 cup butter with mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in granulated sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. (Batter may appear curdled.) Spread batter evenly over pears.